What Comes Naturally

I was given the nicest compliment last night about me being a fantastic parent.  It's always something so nice to hear because most parents work their tails off to be a good parent.  It's a balance of discipline, fun, and learning combined with a constant supply of love.  It looks different for every family but the unconditional love is a constant in all the best ones.

All of this had me thinking of how we are all created so differently and how some things come so naturally to one person and is so difficult for someone else.  Taking care of children comes very naturally to me.  It always has.  I have a knack for it.  God created me with boatloads of patience (when it comes to kids) and an ability to click with so many personality types with kids.  My Gram says it's because my big heart comes through.  Who knows if that's the reasoning or not.  I just know that being a mom or a caregiver comes very naturally to me whether it's one kid or a dozen.

Then I look at the people that compliment me on my parenting skills and the amazing skills that they have.  Some are amazing carpenters.  Some are incredible writers.  They are stellar in their chosen careers and they are able to do things that I am too technically slow to understand.  They may have to work harder at having patience, as a parent but they absolutely still do just as great a job.  It just doesn't come as naturally to them sometimes.

I say all of that to say this: I truly don't believe that there is one job that is better than another.  I don't believe that being a CEO makes you any better than a stay at home mom.  I don't believe that being a corporate lawyer makes you better than a trash man.  If you enjoy what you do and you're using the skills God gave you, I truly believe that one is not better than the other.  The world needs all kinds of people to do all kinds of jobs.  Some require training or higher education.  Some require an apprenticeship.  The point is that if you are using your skills to work hard and make the world a better place, you're contributing to society and that, ultimately, is what being an adult is all about.  The skills that come naturally to you were put inside of you for a reason.

Would I absolutely love to stay at home with my kids again?  Of course! If I had the opportunity to work from home or be a stay at home mom and volunteer at their schools, I would jump on it like a grasshopper.  Now, though, I'm thankful to have a job that lets me use the skills that come naturally to me and encourage others to do the same.